The great city of Liverpool began as a tidal pool next to the Mersey. It was probably called the lifer pol meaning muddy pool. King John founded the port of Liverpool in 1207 Medieval Liverpool would seem tiny to us. Even by the standards of the time it was a small town. In the 14th century Liverpool probably had a population of about 1,000 and today it's grown to 439,000. In the 16th century Ireland was still Liverpool's main trading partner. Skins and hides were still imported from Ireland. Exports from Liverpool at that time included coal, woollen cloth, knives and leather goods. Liverpool began to grow rapidly in the late 17th century with the growth of English colonies in North America and the West Indies. Liverpool was, obviously, well placed to trade with colonies across the Atlantic. The first dock in Liverpool was built in 1715. Previously ships were simply tied up by the shore but as the port grew bus